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Ms. VICTOIRE INGABIRE NEW BAIL APPEAL HEARING: PRESIDENT KAGAME MEDDLING ONCE AGAIN IN THE CASE, KEEPING THE JUDICIAL UNDER A BAYONET RULE.

The bail appeal hearing of Democracy Leader, Ms. Victoire INGABIRE, Chair of FDU-INKINGI , is scheduled on Monday, 13th December 2010, at 8:00 am. She is under prison detention since 14th October 2010. As usual, President General Paul KAGAME unveiled the colour of the hearing. In a series of interviews recorded between 04-07 December 2010 in Brussels by Belgian journalists Colette BRAECKMAN and François MISSER, he unleashed his anger at Ms. INGABIRE, labelling her as a "genocide ideological minded", without adducing the slightest evidence. Some excerpts of that smear campaign have been aired by the BBC French on 08 December 2010 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/afrique/audio_console.shtml?programme=midi1200). If for political reasons he can't let the justice do its work, why he does not go all the way and rule judicial sentences directly and openly from the State House?

Given the kind of allegiance that the judiciary has toward the executive, this utterances from the highest executive office barer, is tantamount to interference in a judicial process. The ever changing charge sheet, as well as the endless investigations betray a hidden political agenda of the regime, to perpetuate a climate of instability and instil fear among the opposition. By dragging on the case, the regime intends also to cripple financially the opposition, by engaging it in hefty lawyers'fees, thereby tying their hands and paralysing other political activities. The trials of the other members of the FDU-INKINGI interim Executive Committee are scheduled for 05th January 2011. While many other members throughout the country are facing muscled interrogations.

Meanwhile, in an effort to counter the growing protest among the Rwandan exile, president KAGAME called on the latter to return home and see for themselves "the change that his regime has ushered in". The president should know that refugees are not green pasture tourists. They fled the country out of genuine fears of persecution. Instead of inviting them to come home, his regime would better stop the influx of exodus abroad, by dealing with root causes behind.

The case of Ms. Victoire INGABIRE, who volunteered and returned home only to be jailed, shows beyond any doubt, that the regime is not ready for a political settlement of the crisis.

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Today, on her 26th day in Prison, Ms. Victoire INGABIRE, FDU-INKINGI Chair, was brought to the High Court for an bail appeal hearing. The Prosecutor admitted that the copies of mails adduced as evidence were printed many days after the arrest and that the 14th October PRO-JUSTITIA statements related to the arrest of the key witness and the defendant contain inaccurate details and troubling inconsistencies. In this case , the first paragraph of article 102 of the LAW N° 13/2004 OF 17/5/2004 RELATING TO THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, O.G SPECIAL Nº OF 30/07/2004 should apply: “When a Magistrate or Judge does not find sufficient evidence for prosecution, an accused person shall be immediately released”.

The Defence Counsel is composed by the Bâtonnier GATERA GASHABANA (Kigali), Barristers Robert Alun JONES (London) and Iain EDWARDS (London) . They challenged the Prosecutor's submission and especially the accuracy of the judiciary statements justifying the arrest of the opposition leader. The interrogation of the key witness was backdated. The official information that the arrest of the defendant was prompted by allegations made by the key witness upon his arrest is misleading. The allegation that he was found with bunches of mail copies is a fake too. They were printed and edited in collaboration with the key witness on 19th October 2010 while the defendant was already in detention. The prosecutor struggled to persuade the Court and instead produced “fresh evidence” that has never been mentioned any time before. This looks like an endless state persecution. There is no doubt that new fake evidence will be produced every week. In this particular case, no chance to have a fair trial in Rwanda. This is a blatant violation of international conventions on human rights. The submission of petition to the Security Council and to the Human Rights Commissioner in this respect is to be seriously considered.

Since February 2010, Paul KAGAME's government has been using the judiciary apparatus to thwart the opposition and to keep opposition leaders in prison. All the bilateral partners of Rwanda have recently received a 6 page justification of the overwhelming evidence linking Ms. Victoire INGABIRE to a terrorist organisation and no serious grounds have been established. The verdict will be known on Friday, at 15:00. There are no further doubts about the political dimension of this trial.

We call for the immediate release of Ms. Victoire INGABIRE and other opposition leaders.

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“DON'T GIVE UP, HE WILL NEVER JAIL A WHOLE NATION”, said Ms. Victoire INGABIRE on her 23RD DAY IN CAPTIVITY (KIGALI 1930 MAXIMUM PRISON).

Today, only 20 people were allowed to visit Ms. Victoire INGABIRE, FDU-INKINGI Chair, in the Kigali maximum prison. The visitors are mostly members of the opposition party FDU INKINGI, the Green Democratic Party of Rwanda and the Parti Social IMBERAKURI. Two other political prisoners, Maître Bernard NTAGANDA (PS IMBERAKURI, founder President) and Deogratias MUSHAYIDI (PDP IMANZI) were seen by the team as well.

Ms. Victoire INGABIRE encouraged the crowd in front of the Prison: “Do not to give up, the dictator will never jail a whole nation”.

Ms. Victoire INGABIRE is in detention since 14th October 2010. She is charged with politically motivated crimes. Considering the role of President Paul KAGAME and the whole state machinery in this endless process there is no single chance to have a fair trial. While an appeal bail hearing is expected on 8th October, members of the ruling party are touring western capitals to justify their version of democracy, the incarceration of opposition leaders and the crimes against humanity committed in the Congo by the current regime. They can't even wait for the outcome of the trials.

The much touted discovery of a so called bunker in the victim's residence is a blatant lie and state hate propaganda. Most of residential properties in Kigali City have structures for rainwater drainage systems and since 2006, thousands of households lacking such facilities have paid heavy fines due to the City Department of Environment and sanitation regulations. The police brutal show, the subsequent media campaign and the arrest or grilling of FDU-INKINGI Executives and staff is nothing else than state intimidation. It's another way for the regime to prepare the national and international opinion to the upcoming court ruling. Since February 2010, the Rwandan government fooled the world that there was overwhelming evidence against Ms. INGABIRE and up to date, General Paul KAGAME's men are still digging even sewage and sanitation structures.

The Rwandan people are waiting for next week court hearing. It's another big challenge for the independence of justice. Ms. Victoire INGABIRE will be assisted by a Rwandan lawyer and two International lawyers from the United Kingdom.

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This Tuesday afternoon, the FDU-Support Committee confirmed reports that the Rwandan police drifted again into Mrs. Victoire INGABIRE's house for the umpteenth time for a search. This operation turned out to be all its own. As a matter of fact, after digging in all directions a cesspool near the house destined for rainwater drainage attracted all the attention. Pictures were taken and sketches drawn up for unknown purposes. All 3 present members of the FDU Executive committee, Vice-president Boniface TWAGIRIMANA, Secretary General Sylvain SIBOMANA, Treasurer Alice MUHIRWA and other staff were arrested and taken for grilling. This information was later confirmed by the prosecutor Bonaventure RUBERWA on the BBC. They were all released at 23:40.

The FDU-Support Committee condemns in the strongest terms these acts of harassment of the opposition leaders concocted and put into execution by General Paul KAGAME dictatorship. Through these actions, the regime aims to silence for ever the democratic opposition.

Today, the situation is all the more worrisome that an information leakage from trustworthy Rwandan secret services unveils an assassination plan targeting the opposition leader, Mrs. Victoire INGABIRE UMUHOZA, already incarcerated since October 14th.

It is high time that the International community broke its silence and came to rescue the Rwandan people.